Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and stroke

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep. The symptoms of OSAHS include habitual snoring and daytime sleepiness with brings accident events. Children of OSAHS have the symptoms of learning problem with impaired school performance and hyperactivity, which may be misdiagnosed as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The complications of OSAHS are known as hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric disorders. The diagnosis of OSAHS is based on clinical symptoms and polysomnography study. Treatment of OSAHS should be tailored to individual condition. Since more and more clinical studies were reported, the debate of OSAHS as an independent risk factor for stroke is confirmed. Mechanisms, which OSAHS inducing cardiovascular disease, are the same pathogenicc pathway for stroke. This article described the pathophysiology, clinical symptoms, complication, diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS, and the association between OSAHS and stroke were reviewed.